Question on Steve's videos

[Anonymous]

After watching the Ap video "processing fingers" at the end, all the clean foils are put into a coffee filter, the video stops, Next the Gold video 'dissovling fingers" How were all the foils transfered from the coffee filter into the white cup with handel and pour spout? Next video makes sense how to get the AuCH, adding acid and bleach, but the next question is the video "Using Soduim Metabisulfate," Is the Soduim Metabisulfate (SMB) salt and distilled water? Why is there soo much more AuCH then the previous video, was more water added? So after SMB is added and the reaction the gold settles to the bottom, whats the best way to get that out? And is that what is finally melted down? Thanks

 

[glorycloud]

All good questions man of steel. 8)

How were all the foils transfered from the coffee filter into the white cup with handel and pour spout?

I normally wait until the coffee filter and the foils are dry and then I gently rub the coffee filter above the dish I use to do the
dissolving of the foils. I always put something to catch the pieces of dried foil that want to misbehave and fly off everywhere.
I add them back into the dish with the other foils and then I add the HCL and the clorox (a little at a time on the clorox).
PLEASE be sure to do this outside or under a fume hood as the fumes generated while adding the clorox are STRONG!!!

Is the Soduim Metabisulfate (SMB) salt and distilled water?

SMB is added to the auric cloride after it has been diluted with distilled water. I add three parts water to one part AuCl.

So after SMB is added and the reaction the gold settles to the bottom, whats the best way to get that out?

Well, I simply use my trusty water spray bottle to C A R E F U L L Y wash the precipitated gold into the coffee pot I use
to do my cleanup washes with HCL and then water. (I don't have the nice Erlenmeyer flasks that some of the folks here use.)

And is that what is finally melted down?

To get good quality gold you need to wash the precipitated gold powder. I add enough HCL to cover the powder and do a hard boil
on it. The solution will normally turn a yellowish color. Remove form the heat, let it sit for a while to let the gold settle to the bottom.
Carefully pour off the yellow liquid (not the gold powder) or siphon it off as per Steve's great videos. Repeat this process until the
liquid gets clear and then wash with water two or three times. On the last wash you want to slowly evaporate off the water being sure
to swirl the nice brown colored gold so it doesn't get stuck to the bottom of your beaker / coffee pot. (There may be another wash
with ammonia hydroxide that needs to be done depending on the kind of escrap you processed.)

There - those are almost the identical questions that I had when I first got started refining escrap. Good luck!!! 8)

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you thats definately what i needed to know about putting the foils into the next processes of adding bleach and acid for the rich gold solution. I was concerned and what to do it the best way i can. So i understand to next dilute the AUCL with distilled water, like Steves video, with the large glass container of AuCL, but still i wonder what exactly SMB is and where to get it? then when SMB is added I see the reaction and the solution turning clear with all the gold settle to the bottom. How do you get that dark powder out of the bottom of the solution? Is that powder the same 3 grams of powder from the melting video?

 

[nicknitro]

Superman,

Ahh to answer your question about SMB, SMB is Sodium Meta-Bisulfite. Not Sulphate, or any other -ides etc.

It is a medium strength chemical used commonly in Beer Brewing and Food Prep to kill bacteria from glassware and such. Another good source as I understand it is from certain stump remover chemicals in like garden center stores I believe the Brand Name is Stump Out, though I have never seen this in my area of the US.

Other common places many forum members get this chemical from is theChemistryStore.com, and also EBAY.

It is not the only way to precipitate gold from solution, there is Ferrous Sulphate? hope I got that right, Zinc powder, copper, Steel, SO2 gas,etc.

The reason it is most commonly used in gold precipitation, is that it is pretty selective to drop mostly gold, not copper and other crud, from your pregnant solution. SO2 gas is recommended by Harold, as you do not add any more contaminants to your solution at all, but is probably more than you are up for at this point.

The solution clearing is just the beginning, give it 24 hours for all the gold to settle to the bottom. Some finer particles of gold can take a while. Then make sure to test your AuCL3 solution for any remaining gold with stannous chloride. Which is a salt made from Tin and HCL. Look on the forum for previous post on the subject. There are many. As well as many more answers to even your unasked questions. LOL

After settleing, Steve recommends siphoning off the top solution, being careful not to suck up any of the gold powder. Try to avoid just evaporating off the solution as it has all the unwanted metals in it and they will just mix with the gold powder when dry. They may be taken out in the HCL Washes, but quite possibly not if you are dealing with PlatinumGroupMetals in there as well. Not very likely with just close-cut fingers but possible.


Hope This Helped,
Nick

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks I'm on a new mission, all the help is greatly appreciated.

 

[nicknitro]

SUPER MAN :!: ! :!: ! :!: ! :!:

 

[mademjac]

All good questions man of steel. 8)

How were all the foils transfered from the coffee filter into the white cup with handel and pour spout?

I normally wait until the coffee filter and the foils are dry and then I gently rub the coffee filter above the dish I use to do the
dissolving of the foils. I always put something to catch the pieces of dried foil that want to misbehave and fly off everywhere.
I add them back into the dish with the other foils and then I add the HCL and the clorox (a little at a time on the clorox).
PLEASE be sure to do this outside or under a fume hood as the fumes generated while adding the clorox are STRONG!!!

Is the Soduim Metabisulfate (SMB) salt and distilled water?

SMB is added to the auric cloride after it has been diluted with distilled water. I add three parts water to one part AuCl.

So after SMB is added and the reaction the gold settles to the bottom, whats the best way to get that out?

Well, I simply use my trusty water spray bottle to C A R E F U L L Y wash the precipitated gold into the coffee pot I use
to do my cleanup washes with HCL and then water. (I don't have the nice Erlenmeyer flasks that some of the folks here use.)

And is that what is finally melted down?

To get good quality gold you need to wash the precipitated gold powder. I add enough HCL to cover the powder and do a hard boil
on it. The solution will normally turn a yellowish color. Remove form the heat, let it sit for a while to let the gold settle to the bottom.
Carefully pour off the yellow liquid (not the gold powder) or siphon it off as per Steve's great videos. Repeat this process until the
liquid gets clear and then wash with water two or three times. On the last wash you want to slowly evaporate off the water being sure
to swirl the nice brown colored gold so it doesn't get stuck to the bottom of your beaker / coffee pot. (There may be another wash
with ammonia hydroxide that needs to be done depending on the kind of escrap you processed.)

Hi Glorycloud: Can I just use an old Mr. Coffee glass pot and put it on my electric stovetop burner, or do I have to use a special heating unit? Is this what lazersteve refers to as "cleaning and drying gold"?

There - those are almost the identical questions that I had when I first got started refining escrap. Good luck!!! 8)